Monday, August 4, 2014

MEMORIES OF A 79 YEAR OLD

My only memory pre WW2 is rather
misty, I was only 3/4 years of age is of a holiday in Cornwall. A pillow fight
with my big brother on the night sleeper always comes to mind. The only other
thing coming to mind is causing family panic when my older cousin, Sylvia, took
me on a long walk across the beach to see a seaplane that had crashed into a
building.We
went to Cornwall, I have learnt since, as my father was born in Helston and I
was taken there to be christened in a small Church on the cliff top at Gunwally.

A pleasant way of life came to an abrupt
end September 3rd. 1939 when WW2 was declared with Germany. As the
war progressed I can recall standing on our door step to watch the ‘Dog Fights’
by the Royal Air Force and enemy aircraft above Teddington. To small boys it
all seemed to be one big game, going to school the next morning we would scour
the streets looking for shrapnel. Part of our ‘game’ was when the airaide
warning went to stand on our garden Anderson shelter, where we slept many
nights, to listen and look out for enemy aircraft the dive into the shelter.

On reaching the
age of 7, I joined the 3rd. Teddington Wolf Cub Pack (Cub Scouts).
The war effort was well under way by this time; I remember all the iron railing
fences were collected from peoples gardens, aluminium pots and pans were
collected, all for munitions’ manufacture. The scout group set up a ‘shoe
shine’ stall outside Teddington Station to raise funds for the war effort.
Boroughs were expected to raise funds to ‘buy’ a spitfire, a large rally/parade
was held on Twickenham Green as our Boroughs part in this campaign. Although
times were hard, in war time, our cub pack went to a party with other cubs in
the basement of the Wesleyan Chappell on the corners of Stanley, Hampton Roads
and the Broad Street. The very next night the Chappell was to get to a direct
hit from a German High Explosive Bomb, Whew that was close. Another victim of
the Wesleyan bombing was ‘Bells’ store in Stanley road opposite. I remember
sitting on a step stool there eating broken biscuits, our mother used to work
there on a part time basis. Gordon Bellchamber continued trading in a hurriedly
bomb repaired shop at 9 Broad Street, where he traded until his retirement.

After a night raid
we would go round on our bicycles looking at all the sights of the bombing
raids, the Baltic Timber Yard in Stanley Road on fire, the Baptist Church in
Church Road bombed. We did not see them all, of course, bombs on Shacklegate
Lane, Fullwel Road a very large landmine on the garages in Wellington Gardens.
The list goes on; Teddington took a lot of bombing because of the National
Physical Laboratory being here. On one very bad raid Teddington swimming pool
was used as a temporary morgue. Our own home took a near miss with two pairs of
houses being taken out with a pair in Wilcox Road. We were in our garden
Anderson shelter that night. I recall a loud swish, a big bang and a great red
flash. Our front door blew up the stairs, windows came out and roof tiles
missing. We had a family staying with us for a night from east London who had
been bombed out of their own home the night before. They had camp beds against
an inside, load bearing wall.

Treats were few
and far between, I can remember, on a family outing to Kew Gardens, being shown
a banana growing on a tree in the glass house, “After the war” we were told,
“You’ll have one of those to eat” But I got one before then, as our Dad was
serving abroad we were invited to a party at the American Army Camp in Bushy
Park and given an orange and banana. Still going out to Bushy park and the
river we found the Diana Fountain

to be covered in a huge wire netting and camouflage,this being great fun climbing up to the
top of the fountain until being chased off by park keeper/police. Large holes
were dug all over Bushy Park with the earth mounds alongside to prevent German
Gliders landing. The holes soon filled up with water and became breading places
for newts, frogs water boatmen and other insects. Great fun to collect with
nets and jam jars, taking home frog spawn to hang up and watch it turn into tadpoles
then frogs.

By this time I
had become a very nervous boy, being singled out at school for a special red
capsule with my morning milk. We ventured a bit further on our bikes one day to
Twickenham to see the devastation by a V1 rocket (buzz bomb) of the centre of
the Town and riverside. Kings Head, front of Woolworths (3d. & 6d. Store)
blow out, Water Lane and boat houses bombed. A V1 landing on Strawberry hill
Golf Course decided the time had arrived for our ‘evacuation’ – we did not go
on a scheme but went to stay with my father’s brother’s family in Henstrige
Somerset, they were there as they had been bombed out of their home in Portsmouth.

My war efforts did
not stop there, in the autumn the whole class where taken out into the fields
to pick rose hips from the hedge rows to be sent off to make rose hip syrup.
Much needed vitamin syrup to supplement lacking vitamins from the wartime diet.

One of the village
family names was Dufall; they were farmers, owned the village bakery, and grocery
shop, my aunt used to work at the bakers with a very early stat. One day I went
with her and was allowed to go up to the flouer loft and send flouer down the
shoot for the next day’s mixing and proving. Would not be allowed now, Children
miss out on a lot these days with so much ‘Health & Safety’. They were also
leading lights in the local Baptist Church. My cousin and I were in a ‘team’ of
boys paid 6d. a month to be in the choir and another 6d. to pump the organ, electricity
had not come to the village yet. Our cottage was lit by oil lamps, and hot
water from a brick copper in the yard, cooking on several primus stoves. Water
had to be carried from a communal tap 75 yards or more down the lane.

The Somerset and
Dorset joining line used to run through thru the village with it’s
own station, with steam tank engines, we would put half pennies on the track to
flatten them out to pennies. As ‘immigrants’ from London we were soon integrated
into village life. One day the school put on the customary school show, I was
to play the part as father, head of the household, and supposed to make-believe
to light up a pipe. On the way to school on the day of the show I picked up
cigarette dog ends and put in the pipe. Much to the amusement of the Mums and
Dads smoke came out of the pipe. Once off the stage I was sick as a dog,
probably the reason I never took up smoking.

A weekly treat was
to walk to the next village to a film show, when it rained it would almost
drown out the film sound. Sometimes, if one was due, we would go by train.

Henstrige was an
assemble point for some of the American service men for ‘D’ day. After school
we would often call at the camp and were given sweets and chewing gum, a treat
with our shortages and rationing. “Got any gum chum” was quite a saying when we
passed by a ‘Yank’. One day we were very late for school, a long convoy of
trucks etc going thru the village so we could not cross the road.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Just a thought – 74 years ago I was 5/6 years old and went
to the Baptise Church Sunday School in Church Road Teddington. After singing hymns and a prayer we
walked round for the collection singing –

“Dropping, dropping, dropping
hear the pennies fall, every one for Jesus, he shall have them all”

Story time came. We were told a missionary would take our pennies
to Africa for the poor undernourished orphans. We were shown pictures of
natives in grass skirts and loin cloths, carrying shields and spears in war paint
and told how the tribes kill each other.

Now in 2014 we are bombarded by Television advertisements to
give £2 or £3 a month to help the poor undernourished orphans left by the ‘Warring
factions’ (Tribes?) using combat gear and weapons sold to them by the ‘Civilised
Countries’ to feed the greedy arms salesmen, wealth makers and bankers.

Another song “…when will they ever learn, when will they
e-ver learn….”

About Me

Born in Hampton, second of five children, educated in the Borough. Served printing apprenticeship at Twickenham Printers. Established own printing company in Twickenham, moved business to Hampton Hill on expansion in the mid '70s at the same time becoming Sub Post Master for Hampton Hill. Became licensee of small hotel in 1987. An active and lifelong Socialist, joined the Labour Party in Twickenham in 1952, served on its management and executive committees. Member of the National Graphical Association. Elected to Borough Council as councillor for Hampton Hill. Appointed school governor of two schools. Former active member of Teddington Old People's Welfare Committee, a member of Twickenham Rotary Club playing a very active role. Chairman of a working man's club. Former Commissioner for the Scout Movement in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.Trustee and founder member of Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group.